Bill and I tried for 40-50 minutes to try to find a cab to take us to the airport. There were vacant cabs, which quickly switched on their not available signs, there were cab drivers that just averted their gaze, there were the drivers that just shook their fingers at us. We were approached by black taxi drivers....this is not black as in skin tone, but as in illegal. These are the guys that will quote you one price and then when you get to your destination say you owe two or three times the quoted price. Even if you write down what you agree on is no guarantee that that will be the final price.
We shook this guy off, I can't tell you how many times during our 40 minutes of trying this road, trying this road, crossing streets, going around corners, all to no avail. There appears to be a black taxis mafia that has sewed up the market near the train station. We went back, tail between our legs and were quoted 300 yuan, which is more than 3 times the price. A bit of pre-planning went into effect when we reached the airport. I was to jump out of the cab and grab our packs out of the trunk while Bill fumbled for bills to pay. At least we would then have our stuff. I was also to photograph the license plate. As it turned out, not necessary. It was exactly 300, no more, no less.
We think we are in the clear, arriving at the airport at 10:29. We need to check in. The airport had a strange system. Everyone was pulled over and swabbed for gunpowder residue, then released to another officer who held us behind a cordon. While we were waiting to be released from the cordon, a Chinese woman and a security guard were having a shouting match. The woman was screaming at him, and he was trying to intimidate her by standing very close and looming over her. She did not back down. Another security guard came over to try to break things up and as soon as he arrived, the first guard started getting very aggressive. He needed to be held back by the second security guard. At one point he goes over to the desk and takes out this long pole with a semicircle of metal attached to it. It looked like a stylized "Y". He never used it because the second security guard calmed him down and took it away from him. My assumption was that it is a tool to hold people against a wall or other hard surface until help arrives.
Once that excitement is finished with we were able to go to the ticket counter. We were all supposed to meet at the counter and had assumed that there would be some DPRK official waiting there with our tickets. So here we all were assembled, 7 gringos, and no guides. After about 1 hour Sharon called Charlotte and it seems that we were supposed to go up to the counter present our visas and passports and get our tickets. Not how it was explained to us....live and learn.
We go through security and get on our plane for the 1.5-2 hr flight. We land in Pyongyang and now the fun begins again. You must declare reading materials, maps, any GPS equipment, electronics, etc and they will be looked over. I understand the reading and maps stuff, but since there is no internet, then electronics are basically large paperweights and super large wristwatches. They took the 3 books I had with me, Gone Girl, Stolen Prey, Good Food in Shanghai. I don't see where they took them. I get my pack back and there is no one on my side of baggage claim, everyone has already gone through. I want my books back, but don't know where to get them. It seems that protocol is to leave them at the very end of the customs row in a heap on a table. I collected everything and exited customs. Here is a copy of my DPRK visa.
Sadly, this is the only evidence that I have other than photos that I went to Pyongyang. The guides took our passports and visas and held them for the balance of the tour.
After we landed, we were taken to the railroad station to pick up Michael, Charlotte, and Josh. Bill bought the best thing from the whole trip. He purchased a thin board with about 10 pins with DPRK insignia.
These were taken just about dusk. The railway station was a huge building divided into smaller waiting areas. We were not able to see where the trains came into the station. On to the bus we went and got a short tour of the city. After dark we were taken to a park to view the lights of the city.
This was the first stop . Here are the two former leaders of the DPRK, Kim Il Song, on the left, the first leader, and Kim Jung Il, his sone. There were a few restrictions, you MUST get the entire statue in the photo including the plinth.
I believe that this is the national library
These are statues, interestingly, Greek style muses of the arts. The phooto below is a huge Stallinist Hammer and Sickle with a calligraphy brush in the center. The lights emphasize the 2 flanking buildings which state that Korea is the best.
This is a fountain with colored lights that illuminated the water.
We went to the Hotel and had a bit of a tour around the place which offers so many diversions. There is a bowling alley, with a bar, a billiards room, with a bar, a karaoke room, with a bar, massage room, sauna, 2 "super markets", coffee shops, and several restaurants, with a bar. Our dinner was Korean food bibimbop with all the pickles and side dishes. Did I mention that there was beer? After dinner we opted to bowl in order to get to know our fellow travelers. Had a great time and called it a night after 2 games and many beers.
We shook this guy off, I can't tell you how many times during our 40 minutes of trying this road, trying this road, crossing streets, going around corners, all to no avail. There appears to be a black taxis mafia that has sewed up the market near the train station. We went back, tail between our legs and were quoted 300 yuan, which is more than 3 times the price. A bit of pre-planning went into effect when we reached the airport. I was to jump out of the cab and grab our packs out of the trunk while Bill fumbled for bills to pay. At least we would then have our stuff. I was also to photograph the license plate. As it turned out, not necessary. It was exactly 300, no more, no less.
We think we are in the clear, arriving at the airport at 10:29. We need to check in. The airport had a strange system. Everyone was pulled over and swabbed for gunpowder residue, then released to another officer who held us behind a cordon. While we were waiting to be released from the cordon, a Chinese woman and a security guard were having a shouting match. The woman was screaming at him, and he was trying to intimidate her by standing very close and looming over her. She did not back down. Another security guard came over to try to break things up and as soon as he arrived, the first guard started getting very aggressive. He needed to be held back by the second security guard. At one point he goes over to the desk and takes out this long pole with a semicircle of metal attached to it. It looked like a stylized "Y". He never used it because the second security guard calmed him down and took it away from him. My assumption was that it is a tool to hold people against a wall or other hard surface until help arrives.
Once that excitement is finished with we were able to go to the ticket counter. We were all supposed to meet at the counter and had assumed that there would be some DPRK official waiting there with our tickets. So here we all were assembled, 7 gringos, and no guides. After about 1 hour Sharon called Charlotte and it seems that we were supposed to go up to the counter present our visas and passports and get our tickets. Not how it was explained to us....live and learn.
We go through security and get on our plane for the 1.5-2 hr flight. We land in Pyongyang and now the fun begins again. You must declare reading materials, maps, any GPS equipment, electronics, etc and they will be looked over. I understand the reading and maps stuff, but since there is no internet, then electronics are basically large paperweights and super large wristwatches. They took the 3 books I had with me, Gone Girl, Stolen Prey, Good Food in Shanghai. I don't see where they took them. I get my pack back and there is no one on my side of baggage claim, everyone has already gone through. I want my books back, but don't know where to get them. It seems that protocol is to leave them at the very end of the customs row in a heap on a table. I collected everything and exited customs. Here is a copy of my DPRK visa.
After we landed, we were taken to the railroad station to pick up Michael, Charlotte, and Josh. Bill bought the best thing from the whole trip. He purchased a thin board with about 10 pins with DPRK insignia.
We went to the Hotel and had a bit of a tour around the place which offers so many diversions. There is a bowling alley, with a bar, a billiards room, with a bar, a karaoke room, with a bar, massage room, sauna, 2 "super markets", coffee shops, and several restaurants, with a bar. Our dinner was Korean food bibimbop with all the pickles and side dishes. Did I mention that there was beer? After dinner we opted to bowl in order to get to know our fellow travelers. Had a great time and called it a night after 2 games and many beers.
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